It’s insane that Mybe has been around since 1995 and only just started getting the recognition they quite possibly deserve for their efforts. The South Yorkshire trio have played with pretty much everyone, in every toilet venue across the country, so you cannot argue they haven’t paid their dues. ‘Small Man Syndrome’ is eight new tracks and four ‘new’ versions of older songs and is their first release on the new On The Road Records imprint.
If you’re a Vandals or NOFX fan, and like you punk rock to have a British edge, then you will love Mybe, it’s as simple as that. They may be about as original as beans on toast, but they do what they do very well. Let’s face it though, if you’d been playing for 10 years then you’d expect to be solid as a rock! For me the 12 tracks on here are good, and if they’d have been released maybe five years ago when the Fat Wreck/Epitaph bands practically owned the punk scene with the So-Cal skate punk explosion, Mybe would have made the leap to the next level a long time ago.
‘Quarter Life Crisis’ and ‘Never Pass Go’ are great songs, don’t get me wrong, but by the time you hit ‘Too Stupid To Care’ it becomes apparent that Mybe, whilst not one trick ponies, stick to what they know. And while this is certainly more than palatable in the short run, on repeated listens I’ve found this album doesn’t hold my attention like records released by some of their peers. Reading this review back, it sounds like I’ve been a little harsh. Don’t get me wrong, this record is good as far as it goes. The songs have catchy choruses and the lyrics are funny, but to me Mybe are far better live and that’s ultimately what they have to live up to. In 30-minute doses they are as entertaining as any UK band around, but on repeated listens on CD I found this record didn’t do enough to keep my attention.
For me ‘Small Man Syndrome’ has been released a few years too late in today’s ‘market’. It’s a decent record, certainly one of the better melodic punk records I’ve heard recently, but there’s a lack of variation and absolute killer songs which will probably prevent the band really kicking on. I’m sure this will sell well and the band will, deservedly I might add, gain the recognition they crave, but it could have been better.
www.mybe.co.uk
On The Road Records
Paul